Why Meghan Markle Had to Return Her Birthday Gifts

Let’s talk about something that might feel a little awkward: gifts. Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, turned 37 back on Saturday, Aug. 4, and royal fans from all around the world showered her with love and presents. But here’s the twist — Meghan won’t be able to keep those thoughtful gifts. Why? Well, as a member of the British monarchy, Meghan now has to follow royal protocol, which includes some pretty strict rules about accepting gifts. Specifically, the rules state that members of the royal family can’t accept gifts from people they don’t personally know.

This guideline comes straight from the official royal.uk website, and it’s designed to maintain the integrity and impartiality of the royal family. The website clearly states, “No gifts, including hospitality or services, should be accepted which would, or might appear to, place the member of the royal family under any obligation to the donor.” It’s a way of ensuring that no one can use gifts to influence or sway the royals. So, if there’s even a hint of doubt about the propriety or motives behind a gift, it should be refused. For Meghan, this means most of the gifts sent by well-meaning fans will have to be sent back unless they’re from someone she knows personally.

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(photo credit: getty images) — Getty Images

What Gifts Can Meghan Actually Keep?

Now, don’t get me wrong — Meghan isn’t walking away empty-handed. According to Hello! magazine, there are some exceptions to this rule. For instance, flowers, food, and other consumable items (in reasonable quantities) are fair game. If an author personally presents her with a copy of their book (as long as the subject matter isn’t controversial), that’s also okay. And then there’s the small print: gifts with a monetary value of less than £150 can be accepted. So, if someone sends her a nice bouquet of flowers or a modestly priced gift, she can keep it. But anything extravagant? Sorry, Meghan, those have to go back.

And let’s not forget — this isn’t exactly new territory for Meghan. After her May 19 royal wedding to Prince Harry, the couple reportedly returned gifts worth about $9 million because of these very same rules. So, it’s not surprising that Meghan probably received a ton of expensive gifts for her birthday last week too. But hey, that’s just part of the royal lifestyle, right?

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Sorting Through the Piles of Gifts

Imagine the scene: Meghan sitting at Kensington Palace, surrounded by piles of gifts. Sorting through all of this must be overwhelming, but hey, she’s got her royal family to help her out. Prince William and Kate Middleton probably went through something similar after welcoming their third royal baby, Prince Louis, in April. They must have received tons of gifts too, and they likely had to follow the same protocols. The royal family really sticks together when it comes to these kinds of things.

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